SETTLEMENT PLANNING

in the PHILIPPINES
PRE - COLONIAL

• Like other cities in the world the earliest Filipino

communities developed out of the need for their
inhabitants to band together.
 PRE - COLONIAL

• They were formed for security, or to be close to

critical resources like food and water.
• Most of the earliest towns were by the coast for the
fisherfolk or were where there was abundant
agricultural land for the farmers.
PRE - COLONIAL

• The community unit was the barangay,

consisting of 30 to 100 families.
SPANISH COLONIAL
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• In 1573, King Philip II proclaimed the Laws of

the Indies that established uniform standards
and planning procedures for colonial
settlements.
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• These laws provided guidelines for site selection,

layout and dimensioning of streets and squares,
the location of civic and religious buildings, open
space, cultivation and pasturing lands, and even
the main procedural phases of planning and
construction.
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• The royal ordinances dictated that each town should be

located on vacant and high ground, properly oriented to
sun, wind, and water areas.
• The site should also be on or near fertile land and
accessible to sources of fuel, timber, and water. Because
the law is based on the Greco-Roman Renaissance design
principles, it favored the use of the gridiron pattern in the
establishment of roads and blocks..
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• The site should also be on or near fertile land and

accessible to sources of fuel, timber, and water. Because
the law is based on the Greco-Roman Renaissance design
principles, it favored the use of the gridiron pattern in the
establishment of roads and blocks..
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• The Plaza Complex is a result

of several ordinances of the
Laws of the Indies.
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• In the late 16th century

the Jesuits established
the reducciones policy,
which was aimed to
gather dispersed
communities "under the
bells."
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• The policy created the

"plaza complex" with its
town residents [taga-
bayan].
• Within the town [or
pueblo], people lived
around the plaza with the
ilustrados located closest to
the center and the lower
classes living at the
periphery but still "within
the sound of the bells."
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

• The taga-bukid
constituted a small
minority who had to be
in the fields or rural
areas attending the
agricultural activities.
SPANISH COLONIAL Laws of the Indies

The plaza is surrounded by

important buildings such as:
Catholic church
Municipal or town hall
Marketplace and merchant’s
stores
Elementary school
The homes of the “principalia”
Other government buildings
SPANISH COLONIAL
SPANISH COLONIAL

Intramuros
• The walled city of Manila
• 1.2 sq. KM in area; perimeter is 3.4 KM
• Home of the Spanish (except for the Friars & the high ranking
officials)
• Decentralization occurred and settlements were
built in Malate, San Miguel, and Paco, among
other areas
AMERICAN
AMERICAN
 AMERICAN

The American Agenda

- guide urban growth and physical development
- put more emphasis on other values such as
sanitation, housing, and aesthetic improvements.
AMERICAN
 AMERICAN

Daniel Burnham
• Architect / planner who
designed Chicago, San
Francisco, and parts of
Washington D.C.

• Brought in to design Manila and the “summer capital” of Baguio

AMERICAN Burnham’s Design for Manila
 AMERICAN Burnham’s Design for Manila

• Designed with grand avenues and a strong

central civic core
• Included a civic mall to house national buildings
(only the Finance & Agriculture buildings were
built)
• Fronted Manila Bay like most Baroque plans
fronted a large body of water
 AMERICAN
Manila as the first chartered city
• On July 31, 1903, by virtue of Act No. 183, the city of
Manila was incorporated

• Manila encompassed Intramuros, and the towns of

Binondo, Tondo, Sta. Cruz, Malate, Ermita, Paco,
and Pandacan.

• The population then was 190,000 people

 The GROWTH OF MANILA
The Arrabales

• Quiapo
the illustrado territory; the enclave of the rich and powerful.
Also the manifestation of folk religiosity.

• Binondo
the trading port developed by the Chinese and Arabs

• Sta. Cruz
the main commercial district with swirlsof shops, movie houses,
restaurants, etc.
 The GROWTH OF MANILA
The Arrabales
• San Nicolas
also a commercial town built by the Spanish with streets of
“specialized” categories (i.e. ceramics, soap, etc.)

• Sampaloc
centered on two churches (Our Lady of Loreto and Saint
Anthony of Padua). Also known as the first “University Town”.
 The GROWTH OF MANILA
• San Miguel (Malacañang)-
where rest-houses were built for the Spanish government
• Malate
the early “summer resort” of wealthy and cultured Filipinos.
Then became the first fishing and salt-making town
• Ermita
early tourist belt (red-light district)
• Paco
first town built around a train station

• Pandacan
town built by the Americans for Oil depots
AMERICAN The Suburbanization
 AMERICAN The Suburbanization
Quezon City as the new
capitol city

• In 1939, Commonwealth Act

No. 457, authorized the transfer
of the capitol to an area of 1572
hectares

• A master plan of Quezon City was completed in 1941 by

Architects Juan Arellano, Harry T. Frost, Louis Croft, and Eng.
A.D. Williams

• “City beautiful” plan reflected the aspirations of an emerging

nation and the visions of a passionate leader
AMERICAN The Suburbanization

Constitution Hill
• In 1946, a search committee was formed to
find a new site
• A 158 ha area in the Novaliches watershed
was selected andcalled Constitution Hill
and National Government Center

• The three seats of government were to form

a triangle at the center of the complex

• It included a 20 hectare civic space

referred to as the Plaza of the Republic
 AMERICAN The Suburbanization
Philippine Homesite and Housing Corporation
- Precursor of the National Housing Authority
- Built homes for the masses
(“the projects”, i.e. proj.4, proj. 6, etc.)

Philamlife Homes
- icon of middle class suburbanization
- Master Plan designed by Architect and Planner,
Carlos P. Arguelles, based on suburban
developments in California with modifications
BLISS (Bagong lipunan sites and services)
- Walk-up developments for government sector
 PRESENT Metro Manila CBDs

• Manila CBD
Center of business and commerce, has a population nucleus,
and seats the national government
 PRESENT Metro Manila CBDs

• Makati CBD
business, financial, commercial, convention, and recreational
center of the Metropolitan Region covering an area of 979
hectares. Begun by the Ayala conglomerate in 1948.
 PRESENT Metro Manila CBDs

• Ortigas CBD
Another business, financial, convention, shopping, and
recreational node.

Developed by the Ortigas conglomerate in the 1950s, it’s

present configuration fully developed only in the late 80s. The
area covers 600 hectares.
 PRESENT Metro Manila CBDs

• Cubao CBD
Developed in the 1960s by the Araneta Family, Cubao was
intended as an alternative business center in the Eastern side
of the metropolis. This 37 hectare property now reflects more of
a bazaar economy, though plans are now being developed to
convert the area to a more modern commercial and recreational
center.
 PRESENT EMERGING CBDs

Fort Bonifacio Global City- 500 ha of prime land

Boulevard 2000- 1167 ha of reclaimed land to revive

Manila as a city of commerce and tourism

Filinvest Corporate City- joint venture of government

and private sector. Accessible to industrial estates
and technological parks